Glen protesters ready for last stand

September 1999

THE two and a half year tree protest occupation of Glen of the Downs is facing its ‘High Noon’, with council contractors expected to move in to begin felling operations within days.

Wicklow County Council confirmed this week that arrangements were being put in place to begin work on the scheme, while a camp spokesperson said that the were ‘on a high state of alert’ in anticipation of the council action.

Up to 60 supporters of the eco-warrior campaign converged on the Glen woodland last weekend, when it first emerged that a council move against them was imminent.

Maria Mason of the group said that they were preparing to take whatever non-violent direct action necessary to delay and disrupt the council.

She said that the Glen protesters expected to be able to hold up the local authority for ‘up to three or four days’, with methods which have been used in eco-warrior campaigns in the UK.

A number of tree-top shelters and rope ways have been constructed between the condemned trees in the glen, while the protesters have also installed devices by which they will chain themselves on to tyres, pipes and cement.

While Wicklow County Council gave an undertaking to the High Court last year that they would not carry out any tree felling activities pending a ruling of the court, the authority believes it is no longer under any obligation to delay the scheme.

County secretary Bryan Doyle said last weekend that they had ‘every intention of going ahead with the tree felling’ and that the scheme was ‘in no way prohibited by the Supreme Court appeal’.

The eco-warriors dispute the council’s view that the way is clear for them to begin work on the scheme.

They say that a key issue has yet to be decided by the Supreme Court, and are believed to be preparing to seek an injunction against the council, should they attempt to start work on the road widening scheme. The chairman of Wicklow County Council George Jones urged this week that the eco-warriors should bring their peaceful protest to an end, and allow work to begin on a desperately needed road improvement scheme which has been on the cards for nearly 15 years. He said that the council had minimised the impact which the £20 million scheme would have on the local environment and that it was now ‘time for the protestors to move on’.